Friday, December 30, 2011

By expanding component procurement channels Samsung Electronics is lowering its dependency on U.S.-based telecommunication chip giant Qualcomm in a similar manner to Apple cutting its dependency on Samsung.

As a critical partner, San Diego-based Qualcomm has been paid multi-billion dollars for telecom chipsets used in a variety of Samsung’s electronic devices, a company official said.

But a surge in smartphones equipped with advanced long-term evolution (LTE) technologies convinces Samsung to internalize its own capability of handling LTE-based chipsets.

"We respect the help from Qualcomm. But we are currently gradually reducing our dependence amid the rapid rise of 4G LTE smartphones,’’ a Samsung official, who asked not to be identified, said Friday.

Qualcomm representatives in Korea weren’t available for comment.

As of last year, Sony was Samsung’s biggest overseas client by buying some 7 trillion won components, followed by Apple with 6.2 trillion won, Dell with 3.4 trillion won and Hewlett-Packard with 3.2 trillion won.

Samsung officially declined to unveil its payment amounts to Qualcomm but sources who are familiar with the situation said the Korean tech powerhouse pays some 1 trillion won in royalties yearly to Qualcomm.

Qualcomm currently dominates in the entire baseband chip market accounting for roughly 80 percent, globally, according to data from market research firms.

"The situation is not different for Apple because the firm has switched to using baseband chips instead of the CDMA inventor from early this year,’’ said the Samsung official.

Samsung’s latest strategy comes after recently partnering with Japan’s wireless operator NTT DoCoMo to set up a ``fab-less semiconductor joint venture.’’ The chips produced from the venture will make use of 4G LTE and LTE-advanced standards.

NTT DoCoMo will provide technologies for telecommunications, while other partners ― NEC and Panasonic ― will design chips with those technologies.

Samsung will manufacture the chips on a foundry or contract basis, Samsung said in a statement.

In the so-called `3G ear,’ Qualcomm is untouchable, however, the 4G LTE market is new, that’s why Samsung decided to join the venture with an attempt to have more patents in 4G LTE chipsets,’’ the Samsung official said.

Samsung Electronics has finished testing advanced Exynos chipsets to be used in the upcoming Galaxy S III, according to company officials.

The new quad-core Exynos will also support 4G LTE functions. This is ultimately a blow for Qualcomm as Samsung had used Qualcomm’s one-chip solution that combined telecoms, 3G and 4G LTE functions.

"Nothing has been decided yet, though Samsung is mulling the possibility of commercializing the Galaxy S III equipped with our new 3G-, and 4G-backed chips from 2012,’’ said the official.

A Samsung spokesman declined to confirm this.

Patents keep gaining significance as leading tech companies are entangled in heavy fights. Samsung is in a severe legal tussle with Apple in 10 different countries.

"Samsung shouldn’t suddenly lower it dependency on Qualcomm. In the case, Samsung does so, however, it’s all about patents especially in the world of the so-called smart devices,’’ said an official from Samsung’s chip plant in South Korea, who asked not to be identified as he wasn’t given the right to officially speak to the media.

A surge in Samsung Electronics’ smartphone business has boosted its market capitalization to $136.9 billion.

The figure raises Samsung to fifth in market capitalization among global IT firms, ahead of the world’s second-biggest software maker Oracle.

``We hope for a better year next year despite all difficulties,’’ said a spokesman.

According to the data compiled by financial sources, Oracle’s market cap as of Dec. 23 was estimated at $131 billion. Samsung is ahead of Intel by $12 billion.

All the top four were American companies. Apple is No. 1 at $374.9 billion, followed by Microsoft with $219 billion, IBM with $217.7 billion and Google, $205.1 billion.

``Last year, Oracle was ahead of Samsung in terms of market capitalization by more than $30 billion, but continued sluggish performances and stabilizing dollar-won rates helped the Korean firm,’’ the spokesman said.

In the third quarter of this year, Samsung became the world’s biggest smartphone maker after passing Apple thanks to its Galaxy-branded smartphones.

Analysts and even top decision-makers at the company have no doubt that it will become the world’s biggest overall maker of handsets, after overtaking Finland’s Nokia.

"Samsung needs to further lift awareness,’’ Florian Mueller, a German-based patent expert, said in an email. Mueller runs the FossPatents blog.

Horace Dediu, founder of the mobile industry blog Asymco, separately told The Korea Times that Samsung should eliminate or reduce its heavy dependence on Google and Microsoft for greater sustainability of its mobile business.

"Samsung has an enormous collection of products. This shows that the company values a portfolio approach versus a target approach. The increase in options may seem to be a good thing but it creates confusion, dilution of brand and increased costs,’’ said the Finland-based analyst.

"Samsung does not seem to have confidence in its ability to choose which products will be successful and which won’t.’’

Starting with the new iPads, Apple will utilize IGZO panels from Sharp in order to upgrade the display resolution of the new tablets to full HD level.

To enter the supply chain of iPads, Sharp has switched some of its capacity for large-size panels to the production of small-size panels for smartphones and tablet PCs, said the sources, adding that Sharp will also continue to roll out its Galapagos tablet lineup in 2012 using IGZO panels.

Most Taiwan-based flat panel makers are capable to produce IGZO panels, but the yield rates of such panels still remain a major concern for the makers.

Apple is set to unveil two versions of its next-generation tablet, one for the high-end segment and one for the mid-range segment.

Meanwhile, the penetration rate of lithium-polymer batteries such as those used in iPad 2 is expected to reach 15% in 2012 compared to 5% in 2011.

Global production of lithium-polymer battery cells will top 400 million units in 2011, and the prices of the cells are expected to remain higher in 2012 after being hiked by 20% in the second quarter of 2011.

Yesterday Apple filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that outlines a method of face recognition for taking an iOS device out of sleep mode.

Maybe an upcoming feature on the next version of the iPhone or iPad?

Apple mentions that the software would isolate unique facial features in addition to specific skin tones to recognize a face. The software would memorize the attributes to the face, but the user may potentially have to reset the scan after any form of facial plastic surgery or something as simple as a sunburn.

Apple is already utilizing face detection in the iPhone 4S for photography. The camera automatically detects up to 10 faces within the picture and sets the focus on the most prominent face.

It’s likely that the current face detection software will be customized to work with facial recognition elements. Apple calls the new technology “low threshold face recognition” and is designed to work in many situations where lighting can be an issue. Facial recognition technology already exists on Google Android phones with the recent release of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

Google warns users that facial recognition offers lower security that using a pin or other password to lock the Android device.

Apple filed this patent 18 months ago and hasn’t issued any official comment on how this technology will be utilized in future devices. Any announcement concerning the use of facial recognition on iOS devices will likely come at the next Apple press conference.

You can now keep tabs on your notifications, friend requests, ticker, and chat all without opening your browser. However you have to sign in before on the Facebook website, where you are redirected after you load the Messenger.

The one feature you wish were available would be the viewing and commenting controls that you have when you’re visiting Facebook in-browser.

Included items like listening in with friends or viewing pictures via the desktop app would be a huge improvement.

LG is going to show off an 84-inch 3D Ultra Definition (UD) television that’s capable of 4K resolution.

Designed to display a pixel density that’s four times any 1080p television, the 84-inch behemoth offers a resolution of 3840 by 2160 or eight million pixels. The flat panel utilizes a embedded 2D-to-3D conversion engine that allows viewers to watch 2D content in a simulated 3D format. In addition, consumers can play with the 3D Depth Control to modify the 3D effect that’s being created during the 2D-to-3D conversion process.

LG also offers the ability to control sound processing with the 3D Sound Zooming function which allows users to digitally place themselves within the 3D sound field using only the front two speakers. The panel also connects to the Smart TV application storefront and allows the user to peruse and install up to 1,200 different applications on the television. LG has dubbed the control for the television as the ”Magic Remote” and it will include voice recognition technology for controlling television functions as well as gesture control similar to a Nintendo Wii control.

Samsung Electronics said on the 29th that it has shipped more than 1 million units of Galaxy Note globally.

The worldwide sales of Galaxy Note are also on the rise in Europe and Asia including France, Germany, Hongkong and Taiwan. The rapid global sales of Galaxy Note are notable since it is creating a new market for something between smartphone and tablet pc. The speed of the global sales is expected to accelerate further next year when it will be available in the US.

Recently, Financial Times reviewed highly of Galaxy Note, commenting it as"a happy medium for consumers who want to carry just one device, rather than both a smartphone and a tablet and whatever other portable gadget they pick up on their way out".

A Samsung official also said "1 million global shipping of Galaxy Note means it has well positioned itself as a market creator," also adding "Samsung will continuously strengthen its leadership in the global smartphone market as well as create new markets with innovative devices."

Sprint has achieved a number of milestones in the deployment of Network Vision this year. As part of its Network Vision program, operator doubled its 2011 capital investment over 2010 to make tens of thousands of capacity upgrades, resulting in a better wireless experience for its customers, announced Sprint.

Operator is on track to offer LTE devices by mid-year 2012 and complete the majority of its Network Vision rollout in 2013. Sprint expects to make additional announcements about the timing of LTE markets and devices early next year.

This year, Sprint completed development and integration of back-office systems to support the new base stations to ensure a seamless rollout and finished lab testing of all components of the Network Vision platform, eliminating most technical risks of the program and validating rapid LTE deployment schedule. Operator also launched first multi-modal base station in Branchburg, N.J., and validated improved 3G data performance metrics, such as voice quality, drops and blocks and data speeds

Kuwait Telecommunication Company VIVA, a STC Group company, has launched commercial 4G LTE service in Kuwait. LTE services will be available in selected central areas in Kuwait at the beginning, whereby the network coverage to expand in the near future to cover all areas.

"As VIVA has always been the pioneer in providing customers with the latest in the field of telecommunication, the step taken towards the launch of the LTE technology, for the first time in Kuwait, comes after the company had secured the latest and advanced equipments needed to launch and effectively activate this eagerly awaited technology," said VIVA CEO Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran.

VIVA plans to continue investing in the advanced (LTE) technology over the coming period, to cope with the latest broadband technologies and to meet the customers' expectation and to lead the development of telecommunication sector in Kuwait.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

NTT DOCOMO has reached a basic agreement with five companies to establish a fabless joint venture company by the end of March 2012 to develop and sell semiconductor products for mobile devices. The joint venture company will focus on developing products for LTE and LTE-Advanced mobile communication standards.

The envisioned joint venture company will be formed once all parties agree on the details, which are now being worked out through consultation. Following the basic agreement, and as part of preparing to form the joint venture company, DOCOMO plans to invest 450 million Japanese yen, or about 5.8 million USD, to establish a wholly owned subsidiary, called Communication Platform Planning Co., Ltd. and headed by CEO Mitsunobu Komori, concurrently an executive vice president and Chief Technical Officer of DOCOMO, by the middle of January.

Basis – body monitoring device with sensors for just about everything.

The eight finalists, along with two undisclosed products that won't be released until the start of the 2012 CES, will present live on stage at Last Gadget Standing, which is produced by Living in Digital Times, on Thursday, January 12 at 10:30am in room N255-257, North Hall of the LVCC.

Each presenter will have four minutes to showcase their product. Winners of both the live vote and the ongoing online vote will be announced at the event's conclusion.

Special co-hosts Gary Dell'Abate and Jon Heinfrom SiriusXM Radio's Howard Stern Wrap Up Show will bring their inimitable wit and knowledge of all things geek to the festivities.

"This year's finalists have contributed to the digital landscape in so many innovative ways: from new ways to take photos, to body monitoring revolution -- even strolling a baby will never be the same," said Robin Raskin, founder, Living in Digital Times.

Samtec, Inc. will participate in the DesignCon 2012 conference and exhibition featuring SI Fusion, end-to-end interconnect solutions that make your entire system faster, thinner and lighter, across longer distances with lower overall costs. Samtec will also be presenting a 40-minute technical paper on connector model validation techniques for improved signal integrity.

Samtec’s line of high speed, high density SEARAY™ open pin field arrays maximize grounding and routing flexibility and feature Edge Rate™ contacts optimized for signal integrity. The .050” (1,27mm) pitch system is available with up to 500 I/Os in stack heights from 4mm to 40mm. A right angle version is available for micro backplane applications, and a press fit tail option provides greater system flexibility. The latest 0,80mm (.0315”) pitch system offers up to a 50 percent board space savings with 7mm and 10mm stack heights. A low profile version is currently in development.

High speed 0,80mm (.0315”) pitch Q Rate® connector strips feature an industry standard ground/power plane that allows the Edge Rate™ contacts to be placed closer together without degrading signal performance. The result is a slim 5mm body design to help minimize PCB real estate for limited space applications. The QRF8/QRM8 Series is available with up to 156 I/Os in 7mm and 10mm stack heights.

In addition, Samtec’s new QSFP+ Active Optical Cable System features an optical engine that significantly outperforms traditional copper cables in bandwidth, distance and cable density. The optical engine converts electrical signal to optical with four channels transmitting an aggregate bandwidth of 40 or 56 Gbps. The QSFPO Series lightweight cable system meets QSFP MSA form-factor specifications, is compliant to Infiniband and Ethernet protocols, and features a small 3mm diameter cable with lengths up to 100 meters. A complete Active Optical Cable System of engines, jumpers, and assemblies is in development for PCIe® Gen 1, 2, and 3 applications.

In a tweet touting the holiday numbers, Google's Android honcho Andy Rubin said 3.7 million Android devices were activated the weekend of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

As Rubin explained in a Google+ post last week, activations refer strictly to the number of new devices (not resold ones) that Google records subscribing to a mobile service.

This news--directly from the mouth of Google--follows yesterday's report from Flurry that Apple iOS and Android devices combined recorded 6.8 million activations on Christmas Day alone. It means a 3.1 million activations for iOS devices.That was a healthy leap from the 2.8 million seen last Christmas.

The all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco midsize sedan will start at $25,995 when it arrives in dealerships in the first quarter of next year, reinforcing the value proposition of the midsize segment’s longest-running nameplate.

The suggested retail price includes a $760 destination charge – but excludes tax, title, license and dealer fees.The 2013 Malibu Eco is Chevrolet’s most fuel-efficient Malibu ever. It is the first Chevrolet to feature General Motors’ eAssist battery electric/gas propulsion system, which uses a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking, electric assist and start-stop functionality. That helps deliver a GM-estimated 25 mpg in city driving and 37 mpg on the highway.

Malibu Eco’s highway efficiency is comparable to the segment’s popular full hybrids and diesels, but delivered at a lower price:

Expressive exterior designed to stand out, with a wide, athletic stance

Aerodynamically optimized exterior, including underbody aero enhancements and electronically controlled shutters in the lower grille that close at higher speeds to push more air over and around the vehicle

All-new, Chevrolet-signature dual-cockpit interior that is more spacious, features premium materials and is engineered to be the quietest in the midsize segment

First Chevrolet car to offer new Chevrolet MyLink connectivity, which integrates online services such as Pandora® Internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio®

European-influenced ride and handling traits

More safety features and technologies, including eight standard air bags, ultra-high-strength steel and rearview camera system.

An Eco gauge in the cluster that continuously responds to driving behavior, encouraging fuel-efficient driving. An Auto Stop Indicator on the tachometer informs the driver when the engine is in start-stop mode

Seventeen-inch low-rolling-resistance all-season Goodyear tires

The eAssist system mated to a fuel-efficient 2.4L Ecotec direct-injection four-cylinder engine and next-generation six-speed automatic transmission. The 2.4L engine, a variant of the same engine that was recognized as one of Ward's Ten Best Engines in 2010, is lightweight and features dual-overhead cams, direct injection, continuously variable intake and exhaust timing and electronic throttle control. It also has a lightweight aluminum cylinder block and cylinder head.

A five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, as well as a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty is standard on the Malibu Eco. Certain eAssist components are covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, including the electric motor generator, three-phase electric power cables and high-voltage lithium-ion battery.The Malibu Eco is offered with cloth or leather seats in eight exterior and three interior color choices. It is well-equipped in standard form and available with four equipment packages: Package 1 – Power Convenience; Package 2 – Premium Audio; Package 3 – Leather; and Package 4 – Navigation. Standard powertrain and chassis content:

A power-operated sunroof is available on Packages 1, 2, 3 and 4. Exterior Color Choices:

Silver Ice Metallic

Black Granite Metallic

Summit White

Crystal Red Tintcoat

White Diamond Tricoat

Taupe Gray Metallic

Steel Blue Metallic (late availability)

Champagne Silver Metallic (late availability)

Interior Color/Trim Choices:

Jet Black

Jet Black/Titanium

Cocoa/Light Neutral

The Eco is the first trim level of an all-new Malibu lineup to launch in the United States. Other Malibu trim levels including, LS, LT and LTZ, are scheduled to begin production next summer in Fairfax, Kan. and Detroit-Hamtramck. The 2013 Malibu will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents and will serve as a flagship Chevrolet midsize in many parts of the world. The Malibu is built in multiple locations including the United States, China and Korea.